Maybe it’s the impending arrival of polar vortex season on the east coast, but fashion is on a serious LA kick right now. On Friday night, as Lana Del Rey and Jared Leto were tearing up museums and cemeteries with Gucci, Dover Street Market was throwing open the doors of its first Los Angeles retail space in Downtown L.A.’s rapidly changing Arts District. Housed in an old warehouse along Imperial Street, the new store gives Rei Kawakubo and Adrian Joffe’s iconic concept a distinctly west coast flavor. For starters, everything is on one sprawling floor, and luxury staples like Gucci and Comme and mixed with L.A.’s coolest emerging streetwear labels — a vibe Kawakubo summarized as “an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos” for a “coming together of different kindred souls.” i-D hit up DSMLA’s opening weekend with photographer Ben Colen to meet the store’s new staff, and see what they’re most psyched about right now.
Name: Melissa Rose Lim. Age: 25. Where are you from? The Valley, aka the 818, aka the great-one-eight. What do you do at DSMLA? CDG specialist. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? Comme Des Garçons. Every CDG line. And every CDG fragrance! What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? Besides DSMLA opening on the 3rd, everyone should know about Birds. Like the electronic scooters. Those are dope. @ms.fitted
Name: Calli Webb. Where are you from? All over the place! I was born in a small farm town in Idaho, spent a year straight out of high school in Boston, completed my BFA in San Francisco, and most recently spent a year in Taos, New Mexico, before moving to Los Angeles in October. What do you do at DSMLA? I am a senior sales associate. I get to meet and interact with all of our incredible customers, as well as touch all of the beautiful garments every day. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? I have to say Molly Goddard. All of her pieces are so vastly different from everything that I have in my wardrobe, but somehow just seem so entirely wearable. And she has such a beautiful cult following of artists from all backgrounds. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? Part Time Punks is this fantastic collective of DJs and artists that puts together events every Sunday night at The Echo. You can expect DJs to be spinning The Cure, Cocteau Twins, New Order, David Bowie, etc. I grew up with my dad playing all of those bands on our home stereo, so to be able to be somewhere where it’s spun live with people that feel as attached to the music as I do feels really special. @calliwebb
Full name: Christian-Daniel Robinson. Age: 31. Where are you from? Seattle. What do you do at DSMLA? Floor Manager. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? Comme des Garçons Homme Deux, The Row for men, Melitta Baumeister, and Casey Casey. Ultra-sumptuous tailoring and dreamy materiality. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? I’m pretty sure I’m the last to find out, but after 21 years of grey skies living in the Pacific Northwest, I’m still enamored with all this sunshine. Have you all heard of photosynthesis? DSMLA features an amazing indoor-outdoor space at Rose Bakery. The menu is primarily vegetarian, sustainable, and farm to table. It’s a slice of home. @LazySexyCruel
Name: Terry Cho. Age: 25. Where are you from? I was born in South Korea and moved to LA when I was five. What do you do at DSMLA? I am one of the floor managers here at DSMLA, excited to be part of the team. What are you wearing? I’m wearing a special collaboration tee that DSMLA did with SHABBAAAAA, which is a dancehall-influenced movement in LA. Along with white Dickies painters pants, and my Beams x Dr. Martens boots. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? I’m really excited about some of the local brands coming together with DSMLA to create special drops for the opening of our store. Other specific brands I’m looking forward to are Doublet, Noon Goons, Goodfight, Raf Simons, and CDG. @T_CHO
Name: Darcy Haylor. Age: 24. Where are you from? I was born in London but grew up in New York City now have been living in LA for four years. What do you do at DSMLA? Part Time Sales Associate. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? It’s hard to pick just one as we have an amazing variety here in the store. However my top three currently are: Molly Goddard, Doublet, and Charles Jeffrey. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? No Sesso and Brain Dead in Chinatown. @darcyhaylor
Name: Jonathan Vaughn. Age: 21. Where are you from: Brooklyn, New York. Job Title: Assistant Floor Manager. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now: Rick Owens, Raf Simons, Balenciaga, Vetements, Hommes Plus. What’s happening in LA right now that everyone should know about: The opening of DSMLA! @jnthnvxxghn_
Name: Magnus-Aleksander Harstrup. Age: 22. Where are you from? New York. What do you do at DSMLA? I Work as a Concierge. What are you wearing? From above to below — Gucci, CANCEL, Skoloct by Tsuyoshi Nakano, Unwanted, and Yeezy. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? I’m very excited about Doublet. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? A great merging and evolution in the cultural scenes of Los Angeles. @NBKMAGNUS
Name: Lou Dickinson (R). Where are you from? South Carolina. What do you do at DSMLA? Floor Manager. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? In terms of ready-to-wear, CDG and Melitta Baumeister — two brands I’ve always loved but never worked with before. And for jewelry, which I have always been drawn toward, Repossi for the exact same reason. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms at the Broad. @futurenever
Name: Danielle Avey. Age: 36. Where are you from? Jersey City, New Jersey. What do you do at DSMLA? Senior Sales. What are you wearing? CDG MAINLINE. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? CDG MAINLINE. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? DTLA will get a new perspective on fashion come November 2. @daleydose12
Name: Eric Michael Vargas. Age: 26. Where are you from? Los Angeles. What do you do at DSMLA? Assistant Floor Manager. What are you wearing? Jan-Jan Van Essche. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA? There are so many to list, so I’ll quickly name a few: Comme Des Garçons, Noir Kei Ninomiya, Raf Simons, Craig Green, Margiela, and Charles Jeffrey Loverboy. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? This is a huge deal that DSMLA is now open in Los Angeles, and everyone who visits LA needs to come check out our beautiful space. @ericmichael_
Name: Gy-Su Kim. Age: 26. Where are you from? Born in South Korea, raised in Southern California, schooled in New York. What do you do at DSMLA? Floor Manager. What are you wearing? MM6, Haider Ackermann, Guidi. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? The empire that is Comme des Garçons. The collections are awe-inspiring with no limitations. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? LA is becoming a thriving hub for young emerging creatives. Style and music go hand in hand in the vast landscape that is Los Angeles. There will always be room for growth and experimentation.
Name: Emma Spencer (R). Age: 24. Where are you from? Baltimore. What do you do at DSMLA? Working as part of the nervous system for the store in Concierge. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? Each brand brings a different point of excitement equally to me. That’s the beauty of DSMLA, never boxing us into one brand. Nonetheless, I’m excited to engage more with Los Angeles based brands like Brain Dead and Noon Goons. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? The Newsstand Project and SHABBAAAAAA. @emmmazing
Name: Marvin Douglas (L). Age: 25. Where are you from? Palmdale, California. What do you do at DSMLA? I’m the Fine Jewelry Specialist. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? Really loving Sacai. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? Dover Street Market is here! @_marvinxdouglas
Name: Charles Worthington. Age: 41. Where are you from? Kansas City/Chicago. What do you do at DSMLA? VIP personal shopping/sales. What are you wearing? Gucci and Levis LVC. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? Noir by Kei Ninomiya. What’s happening in LA that everyone should know about? Dover Street opening. Duh. @Charlesworthingtoniii
Name: Glenn Joseph. Age: 25. Where are you from? Vallejo, California. What do you do at DSMLA? Sneaker Space/Nike Specialist. What are you wearing? Beams, Comme Des Garçons SHIRT, Carhartt WIP, Visvim, and Nike. What brand are you most excited about at DSMLA right now? Doublet. W @gammadym
